Once a Hero
by ChibiDawn23
Summary: Adam Park returns from San Angeles to run his dojo with Rocky and go back to a peaceful life. But while life as a Ranger might be over, at least for the moment, it appears that being a hero never seems to stop.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **: I don't own the characters; they belong to Saban.**

 **Author's Note:** **Just to say it now, this is AU because A)I hated how the show wrote Billy/David Yost off and B)the timeline doesn't exactly track with the show. This is set oh...probably a week or so after "Once a Ranger"**

* * *

 ** _Angel Grove, California  
_ Path of Light Karate Dojo**

"Again!"

" _Kiya!"_

"Again!"

" _Kiya!"_

Adam Park paused and stepped into the third row of students facing him. "Arm up, Jenna," he told the teenager in the white karate gi. "You're using it to protect your face in case they try a high shot." He gently took her arm and raised it to the proper position. "Right there." He adjusted her other arm. "And this one's protecting your belly."

Jenna Connors kept her eyes facing forward. "Thank you _sensei_ ," she replied. She moved her hand long enough to brush a strand of her black hair behind her ear and then moved her arm back to the correct position. As Adam walked back to the front of the class, he hid a grin. Jenna had only been in his class for a month, but already showed lots of promise.

Adam stepped back up to the front of the mat. "We're going to go through that series again," he told them, but before he could begin, he heard a phone. The ring cut shrilly through the silence in the room.

He looked at his students. "Cell phones are supposed to be on vibrate or off during classes," he reprimanded them. "Whose ringtone is that?"

The teenagers on the mat looked around, but no one said anything. "Whose phone is ringing?" Adam asked again, a little stronger. He was a fair teacher, but he didn't tolerate silly distractions.

Finally, Jenna Connors spoke up. "Sensei, I think it's coming from your office," she said quietly.

Adam listened, and sure enough, he heard the tone indicating a missed call from inside his office. He could feel his ears getting warm. "And so it is," he said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. "Very well then. Class dismissed!" He bowed to his students, and they bowed to him before going off the mats in search of shoes, sweats, and their own cell phones.

The bell above the dojo entrance jingled, and Adam looked up to see Rachel Connors, Jenna's mother, come in. She was wearing a blue skirt and white top, with her name in blue letters on the nametag. Her daughter was the spitting image of her, long black hair in a ponytail, green eyes and dimples. Except where Jenna looked exhausted but happy, Rachel Connors, Adam noticed, looked completely worn out. He hadn't seen her in a while, since Jenna usually walked home, but he couldn't remember her looking this beat. Rachel worked two jobs as a waitress in two separate restaurants, Jenna had mentioned that one night. Briefly, he wondered if there was a Mr. Connors to take some of the pressure off when she got home, or if she also had to do laundry and clean up the house and start dinner. When they'd enrolled Jenna, it had just been the mother and daughter, and Rachel had mentioned they'd just moved to Angel Grove and that they were looking for a positive group activity for Jenna. He'd never seen a father come to pick her up, Jenna had never mentioned a 'dad' and Adam wasn't sure there was one in the picture, and never had the courage to ask…. He threaded his way through the remaining kids and caught Rachel's arm. "Hi Rachel," he said. "Rough day?"

She started. He let go of her arm instantly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Adam apologized quickly. Rachel looked up at him, her eyes alert and her face turning a light shade of pink. "Oh, hi Mr. Park," she said. Jenna bounded up to them at that moment, her eyes shining, cheeks pink from the workout. "Hi honey," she said, and Adam could hear that she was relieved to not have to answer the question. "Good lesson?"

"Awesome as usual," Jenna pronounced with a grin. Adam wished he had half the energy of the thirteen year old. There were days when he truly felt his age.

"Good!" Rachel replied, all trace of exertion gone from her voice. "We'd better get home," she told Adam.

"Good to see you again," Adam told her. Under his breath, he added, "Take it easy."

Rachel looked at him, and he could see her cheeks turning red. "You too," she replied, brushing it off with a halfhearted smile, before ushering her daughter ahead of her out the door.

A few minutes later, Adam was the last person in the dojo. He went into the small bathroom and untied his gi, took off his black T-shirt, opting for something that didn't smell like a workout. He tugged on the hooded sweatshirt and tossed the black tee in his bag. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. His hair was a little shorter, but time had been pretty good to Adam Park. He kept in shape with the dojo and classes, and Rocky DeSantos, when he wasn't out with his latest girlfriend, was a great sparring partner. He'd pretty much recovered from the back injury that had taken him permanently out of the ranger game. The two kept each other in shape physically and mentally. Rocky actually owned half of 'Path of Light.' The two had great memories of teaching the elementary school kids karate after program at Ernie's that they'd decided to go into business together, teaching a wide range of classes and students. Rocky taught basic tae kwon do and Brazilian Jujitsu, and Adam taught kung fu.

Adam looked at his watch. Six fifteen. Rocky was probably on a connecting flight in Manila right now. He and his girlfriend Amber Le were on their way back from a backpacking trip in Vietnam, where Amber's family was from. Adam had done nine classes in the past two weeks to cover for Rocky. The two traded off if one or the other had something going on. Lately, it seemed like Amber was Rocky's distraction and reason for missing work, but Adam didn't mind too much. Rocky was happy, and Amber was really great.

 _It must be nice_ …

A knock on the dojo door outside jolted him back to reality, and Adam pushed the pity party aside as he shouldered his duffel bag and shut the light off. In the streetlight outside, he could see Rachel Connors. He pushed open the door. "Hi Rachel. Did Jenna forget something?"

"Ah, her cell phone," she replied, embarrassed. "You know teenagers. It's like an electronic umbilical cord."

Adam smiled. "Yeah, I know it. I was attached to my mor-my watch when I was a kid. Couldn't go anywhere without it."

"Must've been quite the watch," Rachel replied. She smiled, and Adam caught his breath. She so rarely smiled like that when he saw her, and he couldn't help but appreciate it. "Um," Rachel said a split second later. "You don't happen to know where Jenna had her things…."

"Oh. Right." Adam ran a hand through his short black hair. "Yeah, I think it was over here against the wall." He pointed to a stack of rolled up sparring mats. He reached over and flipped the dojo lights back on. Most of the kids threw their stuff on top of them, or sat up there, even though they were repeatedly told to use the floor. He'd given up trying to enforce the rule. "Let me think…" Adam ran a hand between the mat and the wall. He pulled out a black phone. "This the one?"

Rachel nodded. "Thank God," she said. "Otherwise, I'd have to spend my paycheck to buy her a new one." Adam couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "Well, I'm glad we found it then," he said. "Here, I'll let you out. Jenna's probably suffering withdrawal."

He saw Rachel bite her lip and pause mid-step. "Rachel?" Adam asked. "Something wrong?"

She looked up at him. "Mr. Park-"

"You can call me Adam," he replied easily. "Mr. Park is my grandfather."

He got her to smile, which is what he'd been going for. _Anything to see that pretty smile again_. "Adam," Rachel corrected herself. "Jenna has your class next Wednesday, and well…my shift got changed around at the diner, so I was wondering-"

"I can give Jenna a ride home that night," Adam replied. "I'll just have to remember to bring my car instead of my bike."

Rachel looked up in shock, and Adam laughed. "I'm joking. Class gets over around 5 so I'll have her back to your house around 5:30."

She looked so grateful that Adam wanted to smile, but held it in. "Thank you!" she said, sounding relieved. "And actually, if you could just drop her by the diner, that'd be fine. You don't have to bring her all the way home." She sighed. "I'm sorry to put this on you. Things have just been so crazy lately, and I'm sure you think I'm a horrible person-"

"No," Adam corrected. "Even moms need help every now and then."

She started, and Adam saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. _Nice work, genius. You made her cry_. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she was backing toward the door. "Thank you, Mr. Park-Adam," she corrected herself. She smiled, a tired one, before backing out the door and around the corner.

Adam stared at the door for a moment. "Can't take the awkward high school boy outta the adult," he muttered. He hadn't been able to talk to girls in high school, and he still couldn't do it now.

Sighing, Adam went over to the wall and turned off all but one set of lights. He pulled off his shirt.

The punching bag in the corner was just waiting for him to take out his frustrations…


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

It was an hour later when Adam'd beaten the bag to a pulp. He gave it one more spinning kick for good measure before deciding it had had enough. Adam pulled his sweatshirt over his head again and reached in his bag for his keys. He found them, and his fingers ran over his phone. _That's right,_ he thought. _Someone tried calling during class_. He fingered the phone and pulled it out, glancing at the screen.

ONE MISSED CALL. It was an Angel Grove number, but not one he recognized. Frowning, he ran his thumb over the screen and touched the little phone icon. He dialed the number back and waited. It rang a few times before someone answered. Before he could say anything, the person on the other end of the line hung up, leaving Adam listening to silence.

 _Weird_. He put the phone back into his bag and shouldered it. Adam walked over to the lights and turned them off, then locked the dojo door behind him. It was dark outside, but the streetlight on the corner gave him enough light to get to his car-a black Camaro. He wasn't one to splurge, but he'd discovered a while back he liked fast cars. The Camaro was his baby, black paint, chrome stripes and hubcaps. He tossed his bag into the passenger seat and put his key in the ignition. The car roared to life, classic rock coming in through the expanded sound system.

He was sitting at a red light a few moments later, still thinking about the phantom phone caller. He took his hand off the wheel and unzipped his bag partway, searching for his phone again. The light turned green as he found it, and he made a left turn while thumbing through his contact list. Finding the person he was looking for, he hit SEND and waited.

A few moments later, someone answered. " _Hello?"_

"Hey, Billy. It's Adam."

" _Hey!_ " Billy Cranston, or _Doctor_ Billy Cranston, Adam reminded himself, sounded surprised to hear him. Adam wasn't surprised. The members of the old group (or as Rocky called it, 'our old band,') kept up with each other periodically, but then, they all had lives. And hadn't someone said once that high school doesn't last forever? Adam smiled a genuine smile when the smartest man he knew picked up the phone. " _Been awhile, man. Heard you put on the colors again_."

Adam grimaced. Maybe it hadn't been the smartest move, but one didn't refuse a request from the Sentinel Knight of all people-spirits? He still hadn't figured that one out. He'd thought he'd come back in Green, he hadn't been expecting coming back in black. He'd thought the Power Coin's power was shot, after all, it'd almost killed him that day in the park with Carlos. He'd been leery the first time he'd echoed "It's Morphin' Time!" in almost fifteen years, but whatever Sentinel Knight had done to play with the Power, the Mastodon had performed just fine. "Yeah," he replied. "Thanks for the suggestion to find Alpha to put the Morphing Grid back on track."

" _No problem. I love a challenge. Thanks for bringing him back in one piece. Speaking of….to what do I owe the honor of this conversation?"_

"Me calling to tell you about my ride in a 'Zord again isn't enough?" Adam grinned.

" _Glad you enjoyed it. Like riding a bike, right?"_

"A very _large_ , very high-tech bike," Adam replied. "Pretty sure even Desert Thunder wasn't as advanced as the thing I was driving in San Angeles."

" _Adam, Desert Thunder was basically a glorified minivan,"_ Billy teased.

"Thanks for that reminder," Adam grimaced. Honestly, when he'd turned the Turbo powers over to Carlos Vallerte, he hadn't felt bad at all giving him Desert Thunder…

" _Well, someday you're gonna have to tell me about suiting back up again,_ " Billy said, " _but I'm guessing that's not why you called."_

"I wish it was just a social call-but speaking of that, we need to hit Ernie's sometime. Anyway, I was wondering if you still had your tracing software on your computer?"

There was a pause at the end of the phone. _"Pretty sure it's still floating around there somewhere_ ," Billy replied. " _Who're you trying to find_?"

Adam rattled off the phone number that had called him earlier, then explained what had happened. "I'm trying to find out who belongs to that number," he said. "I think it's an Angel Grove cell."

" _So just so I have this clear,"_ Billy said slowly, " _you want me to hack the cell towers and phone companies to find out who your mystery caller is."_

"You got it," Adam said.

" _You realize it would be much more effective to simply call the number back?"_

"I thought you loved a challenge."

Billy laughed. " _Touche. All right, man, I'll see what I can come up with. I'll give you a call tomorrow."_

"Thanks, man," Adam said. "It's good to talk to you again."

" _Likewise,"_ Billy replied. " _Catch you on the flip side._ " Adam heard him chuckle. " _Do people even talk like that anymore?"_

Adam shook his head as he pulled into his driveway. "Only if they like-how did Tori put it-to 'kick it old school.'"

" _Is that what we are now is old school?"_ Billy asked.

Adam sighed. "Apparently it's more cool to call it 'retro,'" he replied. He'd picked up the word from Kira. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said, and hung up the phone.

He shut the engine off and looked up at the house. _Adam Park…this is your life_. The house was a single story house on a quiet side street. The house was white, with a small porch in desperate need of staining. The car looked very out of place in the driveway-a brand new car and a pretty beat up little house.

He pulled his bag across the seat and got out of the car, locking it with the remote and making his way up to the front door. He let himself in and flipped on the light. The car had been a worthy splurge, albeit at the cost of the rest of the place. He'd always had intentions to fix everything up, but between a soccer team, the dojo, and several rounds of evil space villains bent on Earth's destruction or takeover, the only thing he'd really had time to do was tear out the carpet in the kitchen and buy a decent television.

But if the outside of the house was a mess, inside, the place was spotless. Even though the furniture was older, the house itself a fixer-upper he'd bought straight out of college, Adam kept everything in order. He was neat to a fault, he blamed his heritage. His mother had drilled it into him at an early age that cleanliness was next to godliness. So the green, black and white throw on the back of the couch was folded neatly and hung straight over the middle of the couch. The glass coffee table had nicks and dings in the legs from when he, Tommy and Rocky had hauled it into the house, but the stack of _Inside Kung Fu_ and _Car and Driver_ magazines was neat on the corner, and he noticed he'd left a glass on a coaster on the table. His collection of movies was alphabetized on the entertainment center, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere in the room.

Adam paused as he walked past the entertainment center. On the middle shelf were four photos. The first was Adam, his mother, and father before he'd passed away. An eight year old Adam was holding up a trophy from a junior karate match, and his mother and father were smiling proudly. Adam enjoyed that photo; it was one of the only family photos he had that had his father in it. It'd been one of the confident moments of his life that he'd used on Goldar's Mirror of Regret that day in the park all those years ago.

The second frame was from another tournament, but this one was cut from a newspaper. It was a color photo of Rocky, Aisha and himself in high school, right after they'd won the Team Ninja competition against the team from Angel Grove. Adam had mixed feelings about that day-they'd won the competition all right, but that'd drawn the attention of Zedd and Goldar, who'd kidnapped the three of them along with their high school science teacher. Zedd had wanted them to use their skills for evil, but the three had refused to give in. Tommy, Billy and Kimberly had saved them soon after, revealing their identities as the current team of Power Rangers. Rocky still hated snakes to this day-a fact Adam exploited every birthday. Rocky had a short memory, he never saw it coming.

Picture three was a photo of Rocky, Aisha, Adam, Tommy, Kim and Billy together in their skydiving gear, right before they'd jumped out of a plane. That had been such a rush. All six of them were smiling, laughing at something stupid that Bulk and Skull had done. Their jumpmaster had snapped the photo at just the right time.

The final picture was of Adam and Rocky in front of the window at Path of Light. The logo was on the window, and a large SOLD sign was behind them. It had been one of the last times that the five Zeo Rangers had all been together before going their separate ways, celebrating their friends' success at getting the dojo. Rocky was holding the keys, a big grin on his face, and Adam had his hands in his jacket pocket, embarrassed at being in the photo. He hated getting his picture taken. Soon after that, Tommy apparently had gone to college for a doctorate in paleontology (Adam still couldn't wrap his head around that-the die hard racer ended up a dino doc-and a ranger team mentor/ranger again), Kat had returned to Australia on a dance scholarship and Billy had left for a study abroad course in Switzerland, coming back some kind of engineer that Adam couldn't hope to pronounce doing science that went above and beyond his mental capacity.

He also thought of _her_ , and shoved her memory from his thoughts.

Others of his friends were gone now, off doing who knows what. Jason Scott was off seeing the world. He'd always had an adventurous streak. Rumor was that Kimberly was with him again. Jason sometimes stopped into Angel Grove to see family, and the guys would get together. Aisha was still in Africa, keeping in touch, albeit sporadically. The last email he'd gotten, she was embedded with some wildlife preserve, still protecting the animals that she had traded in her morpher for all those years ago.

And then there was Tanya…his mind kept coming back to her, no matter how much he wanted to forget.

Adam got up from the couch, hitting the lights as he went. He went up to his room on the second floor and sat on his bed, rubbing his face with his hands. He reached over into the nightstand drawer and pulled out another photo. This photo used to reside on the entertainment center as well, but now…now it was too hard to look at it.

It was a photo of him and Tanya Sloan. The photo had been taken at a high school dance, so it was an older photo, but it had always been one of his favorites. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and his favorite black jeans, while Tanya was in a yellow sleeveless dress. Adam had his arm around her, and Tanya was laughing. He remembered that Kat had told Tanya her dress kind of looked like a banana peel.

He closed the drawer and put the photo away, but Adam couldn't get her off his mind...

* * *

" _What time's your flight leave, Tanya?" Kat asked._

 _The six of them were sitting in the park. Tanya's suitcases were sitting beside her. She and Kat were sitting on the grass, Justin was sitting cross-legged on the bench next to Adam. Rocky and Tommy were both sitting on the back of the bench._

" _A couple hours," Tanya replied. She shivered. "I'm really scared you guys. I've never done anything like this before."_

" _You're going to be amazing." That had come from Adam, who said it so seriously and decisively that it made everyone turn to look at him. "Tanya, nobody has a voice like you. You're going to blow those record guys away." Impulsively, he leaned down and grabbed Tanya's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "And I'm gonna be the first in line when your first single comes out."_

 _She'd blushed. Kat had wrapped an arm around her friend's waist. Rocky and Tommy were both looking at Adam with knowing smiles._

" _We should probably get you to the airport," Adam said. "You've still gotta check your bag."_

 _Tanya nodded. "Right." She stood up, and the others gathered around for a group hug. "You are all the best friends a girl could ever want." She reached down and ruffled Justin's hair. The youngest of their team was trying not to cry. "Even you, pipsqueak."_

 _Justin tried to smile, but it wavered. Tanya wrapped Justin in a hug, holding him for a few moments. The others waited, giving Justin and Tanya their time._

" _Come on Tanya, you can ride with me." Adam said after a moment as he hefted her bag. "I'll see you guys later," he said to Rocky and Tommy. He put Tanya's bag in the trunk of his car and then held the door for her as she got in._

 _"Let's go, kiddo," Tommy told Justin. "You can ride up front with me," he offered, with a gracious nod from Kat._

 _The ride to the airport was quiet. "So do you go pitch your song, and then they give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down, or do they make you come back and then call you later?" Adam asked. He didn't know how any of this worked._

 _Tanya was quiet, staring into the fading sunlight. "Adam…." she said after a moment, still staring straight ahead. "Adam, I'm not coming back to Angel Grove."_

 _He almost slammed on the brakes. "What do you mean?" he asked her._

 _She looked at him, biting her lower lip like she'd used to when she was new in school. "Adam, the fact is….even if they don't like me, I'm not going to give up. I'll pound every door in Los Angeles if I have to. And if they do say yes, it's going to be a lot of paperwork, it's going to be promotion and interviews and studio sessions…."_

" _Yeah I know that," Adam replied. "But they've gotta give you a break sometime, don't they?"_

 _She didn't say anything, and Adam's heart sank. "Oh. I see. I know where this is going." He took his eyes off the road long enough for Tanya to see the hurt in them. "You can't have any distractions. Including me."_

" _It's not like that, exactly," Tanya began, but Adam shook his head._

" _No," he said. "No, you're right. Tanya, this is your dream. You shouldn't ever give it up or quit chasing it for anything."_

" _Adam-"_

" _It's okay," he said. "I understand." He didn't, but he didn't want her to feel upset. "Tell you what," he said. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or if things ever go south, or whatever," he said, and he looked over at her again, "Call me. Anytime. Day, night, whatever."_

 _He pulled up in front of the terminal and left the car in park. He popped the trunk and got Tanya's bag. She was already out of the car, her arms wrapped around her midsection. "You take care of yourself, okay?" he said, and gave her a hug. She returned it, squeezing him tight. "I'll miss you, Tanya Sloan," he told her._

 _She was crying now. "I'll miss you too, Adam. Thank you, for everything." She stepped back and brushed away the tears with her thumbs. Then she picked up her bag and he watched her walk through the sliding doors to go check in for her flight. He saw Tommy and the others pull in behind him, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. He didn't want to be there to see her get on the plane and fly out of his life for good._

* * *

 _She always did give the best hugs._

Adam wondered why it hurt so bad to think of her. That was a decade and change ago.

 _She never called_.

 _You loved her,_ he though to himself. And it was true. Aisha had been his best friend, but Tanya had been so much more than that. And there hadn't been anyone else since her. He rolled over in bed and flicked the lamp off, staring up at the white ceiling in an attempt to clear his mind.

His mind formed a picture of Rachel Connors in his mind before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ah, the obligatory information dump chapter...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** **Is not mine. Is Saban's.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

Sunlight streamed in the blinds. Adam rolled over in his sleep and caught a faceful of sunlight. "Whoa." He rolled back over and buried his head in the green and white blanket. He glanced at his watch. It was 6:15 AM. "Ugh." He hadn't slept well. He'd dreamt of Marissa, Sarah, Aisha and Tanya. And none of it had been good. "New day, Adam," he told himself. First thing-a run. After that….well, Rocky and Amber would be back. Probably with a ton of stories and a bunch of pictures. _New day. One day at a time._

It was funny. He couldn't remember it hurting this much after Tanya left. He wondered what'd changed. He rolled over, still in his sweats from the night before, and sat up. He peeled off his sweatshirt and threw on a plain green t-shirt. He ditched the sweatpants for a pair of silver athletic shorts, found a pair of socks that matched and went downstairs to find his tennis shoes. He tugged them on and found his iPod laying on the kitchen table. He stuck the buds in his ears and grabbed his house key. He dropped his cell phone in his shorts pocket on the way out and hit PLAY. He was just locking in the door when the first strains of heart-pounding bass invaded his ears, and for twelve solid minutes, that was all he heard. He wasn't even really paying attention to where he was running. When the song playing ended, he realized he'd ran all the way to the park. _Well….since I'm here…._ A new song started, and Adam took off down the sidewalk. The morning was already getting warm but he hardly noticed it, he was so intent on the rhythm of his feet pounding the pavement and the guitar riffs in his ear.

Someone grabbed his shoulder. Adam reacted out of habit, grabbing the offending hand and throwing the person over his shoulder. He looked down, and his eyes widened. He pulled the headphones from his ear.

"Oh man. I'm so sorry!"

From his prone position on the ground, Tommy Oliver couldn't help but laugh. "Nice to see you too, pal," he said with a chuckle. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I shoulda realized how into your run you were." Tommy was dressed for a run in a white cutoff t-shirt and red shorts. Adam noted his friend had cut his hair short and spiked it. A much better look than the _retro_ ponytail.

Adam reached out a hand and pulled his former teammate to his feet. "What're you doing in Angel Grove?" he asked.

Tommy rubbed his shoulder where he'd landed on it. "Weekend, thought I'd come up and say hey to everyone. I don't have to be back in class til Tuesday, we've got a long weekend." He glanced around. "By the way, Kira says to say hello."

Adam smiled. Kira Ford was one of Tommy's students. She'd been recalled by Sentinel Knight as well when the Overdrive Rangers had been disconnected from the Morphing Grid. "Tell her hi back. She finish her CD yet?"

"Post production," Tommy replied. "Release party is next month. You should totally hit Reefside and come. We're having it at the Cyber Café."

Adam shrugged. "We'll see. Rocky's beginner classes usually have an exhibition around that time. But maybe he can handle it without me."

Tommy laughed. "Speaking of, how is he?"

"Good." Adam filled Tommy in on Rocky's new girlfriend, and how things at the dojo were going. "So what," Adam said, as Tommy offered to join him in his run, "you came all the way to Angel Grove at 7:45 a.m. for a run?"

"I got in last night," Tommy replied. "I'm crashed at Billy's."

"No way, I called him last night and he didn't even say anything," Adam said.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Really? Must've been before I got there. I wanted to get all my midterms graded before I left. I hate doing homework."

Adam grinned. "I bet your students say the same thing."

Just then, Adam's cell phone rang. He fished in his pocket and pulled it out. "Speak of the devil," he said. "Hey Billy."

" _Hey Adam. You got a second?"_

"Yeah," Adam replied. He held up a finger to Tommy, and Tommy nodded, stretching out his shoulder.

" _I found the identity of your mystery caller_ ," Billy told him. Adam heard the clink of what sounded like a coffee mug on the end of the line. " _It was very interesting, to say the least."_ There was a smile in his tone.

"So spill," Adam said. "Who was it?"

" _The number is an Angel Grove cell, and it is registered to a Rachel Connors."_

Adam paused. "That's weird."

" _Uh….not the reaction I would've expected."_ Billy sounded confused.

"Well, I mean, her daughter's in my kung fu class. So she knew I was in class when she called. I wonder why she called me…" Adam was as confused as his friend.

" _I'll leave that little mystery for you to solve. My work here is done."_ Billy smiled. " _Hey, so Tommy's in town for the long weekend, we should all get together."_

"Yeah, I know, I ran into him this morning," Adam said with a wink at Tommy. "Rocky gets back today too, maybe if he isn't too jet lagged we could all hook up. My place is open."

" _Sounds like a plan to me,"_ Billy said. " _Well, I'd better get moving, there's a lecture at the Science Center today and I'm introducing the speaker. I'll catch you later."_

"Later, man." Adam hung up and looked at Tommy. "Billy wants to get together later. That work for you?"

Tommy nodded. "I'm free all weekend. Sounds good to me." He looked at his watch. "How about we do one more lap around the park, and then I'll spring for smoothies at Ernie's?"

"Only if you give me a ride home afterward," Adam replied. Ernie's was on the other side of the park from where he lived.

"Done deal," Tommy said. "How about you set the pace?"

"Can you still keep up old man?"

Tommy grinned. "I may be old, but I can still pull it off," he said. Adam started off at a jog, and Tommy followed. "Hey, speaking of which. How'd you feel putting on the ol' morpher again?"

Adam thought about it. "Old," he said finally.

Tommy chuckled. "Yeah, tell me about it. Nothin' like putting on the suit with kids that are young enough to be your own."

"Or ones that haven't been born yet," Adam said.

Tommy glanced at him. "Say what?"

Adam sighed. "Never mind. Gives me a headache trying to think about it." The two ran in silence for a lap around the park. "You ever miss it?" Adam asked when they finished.

"Miss what? Being a Ranger?" Tommy asked. Adam nodded. Tommy grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and used it to wipe his forehead. "There are parts of it I miss. The rush….feeling like I was doing some good…" He stopped for a moment, and Adam was pretty sure he knew what else Tommy missed about being a ranger. "I think that's why I became a teacher. That way I felt like I was still helping the world somehow, you know?"

"Says the racecar driver," Adam teased, and Tommy smiled. "Says the stuntman," he countered back. "I'm betting you and Rocky didn't open that dojo just to make money off your mediocre kung fu skills."

"Mediocre?" Adam replied, mock insulted. "Pretty sure that I can still take you any day-how's that shoulder treating you?" He looked pointedly at Tommy's arm. "And Rocky's back is doin' really well these days, not that the handicap would make a difference."

"Oh really?" Tommy replied, and Adam grinned. Just then, he had an idea. "Hey. What would you say to a little exhibition at the dojo? You're one of the best fighters I know, and I'd love to have the kids see you in action."

"I don't know…." Tommy almost seemed embarrassed.

"Oh come on, man. The kids would get a kick out of it, and Rocky and I miss sparring with you." Adam swatted Tommy with the back of his hand. "Whaddya say? For old time's sake."

Tommy sighed. "Fine. But only 'cause it's you two asking." He smiled to show it was no big deal. "Hey," he said. "Speaking of asking….what's this I was hearing about a girl and a phone call?"

"Oh..." Adam shrugged. He followed Tommy over to his car, a black pickup. "Hey, nice ride."

"Thanks. The morphing grid decided to bring me back in black too, decided I liked it better than white or red."

"Or green," Adam added, and Tommy laughed. "You're changing the subject, pal," Tommy said. "Spill. Who's the girl?" He frowned. "Did you and Tanya-" He stopped short at the look on his friend's face. Apparently, even after all these years, Tanya Sloan was still a touchy subject and he mentally kicked himself for bringing it up.

"Her name is Rachel," Adam replied after a moment. "Her daughter Jenna's in my kung fu class two times a week."

"And she calls you on a regular basis?" Tommy asked. "Adam, that's great news."

Adam climbed into the truck. Tommy hopped in the driver's seat and started it up with a roar. "Actually," Adam said, as Tommy pulled away from the curb. "That's just it. We've only ever talked when it has something to do with Jenna or classes."

"Okay, so then what was with the phone call that you had to get Billy involved?"

"I had a missed call. During class yesterday," Adam explained, leaning on his hand and bracing his elbow in the windowsill. "It was a number I didn't recognize but I had Billy backtrace it for me."

"He traced the phone number?" Tommy shook his head as he made a right turn. "Whatever happened to calling the person back?"

Adam didn't answer. Tommy glanced sideways at him. "Adam. Dude… _seriously_?"

"Hey, I called it back," Adam said defensively. "The person on the other end didn't answer. For all I knew it was a psychopath or a wrong number or-"

"A pretty girl?" Tommy teased, and Adam shook his head. "Dude, you're too old for this."

"Yeah well, when you've gotten your heart broke once before, you're not exactly in a hurry to do it again," Adam shot back. Then he froze, remembering who he was talking to. He looked at Tommy. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, Adam," Tommy said. "Really." He took a hand off the wheel and clapped Adam on the shoulder. "Old news."

Adam kept his mouth shut on the drive to the Youth Center, afraid he'd stick his foot in it again.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Adam had been into the Youth Center more than a few times since high school. Besides the dojo, the Youth Center was the only place in town big enough to have exhibition matches and competitions. His kids showed off their skills here a few times a year. The place had been repainted to try to bring it out of the 90s, but the overall vibe was the same. It was just a neat place for young and old to hang out and have a good time. And despite it changing hands several years ago, the juice bar portion was still referred to as "Ernie's" even though Ernie was long retired.

Tommy pulled into the parking lot at the Angel Grove Youth Center, "Here we are. Is that Stone guy still in charge?"

"No. His son runs the place now, his name is Wes." Adam hopped out of the truck into the oppressive heat. "That smoothie is gonna taste pretty good."

"Hey Adam!" Behind the juice bar counter, a young man with blonde spiky hair and green eyes waved to him. This was Wes Stone, dressed in the obligatory Hawaiian shirt with AGYC stitched on the back. "Wow, and Tommy Oliver!"

Tommy glanced at Adam. "Your picture is in the trophy case yet from the skydiving jump," Adam explained, and Tommy nodded. "Hi Wes, how you doing?"

"Really good," Wes enthused. "Rocky back from Vietnam yet?"

Adam checked his watch. "Actually, their flight shoulda just landed," he said, pulling out his phone. He looked at Tommy. "I'll text him quick, see if he wants to come hang out."

"Sounds good," Tommy replied. "Hey, Wes, do they still make the strawberry key lime smoothie?"

Wes shot him a thumbs up. "Yup. No way Dad was giving that recipe up, it's still one of the most popular flavors."

"We'll take two of those," Tommy said.

"You got it," Wes said, and disappeared into the back.

Adam's phone buzzed. "Rocky says he and Amber are just in baggage claim, so it'll take them about twenty minutes to get here, traffic depending."

"Awesome. That gives you twenty minutes to tell me about your mystery girl," Tommy said.

Adam grimaced. "You aren't gonna let that go, huh."

"Oh come on, man, I think it's awesome!" Tommy told him. "What else do you know about her?"

"Besides that she's beautiful and has a 13 year old?" Adam clarified, and Tommy nodded. "Well, she works two jobs to pay for Jenna's lessons. She tries to make it to every one of Jenna's meets. She drives a blue car…." Adam shrugged. "I don't know…what else do I need to know?"

Wes set their smoothies down in front of them, and the two men nodded thanks. "How about, is there a Mr. Rachel?"

Adam frowned. "I don't know. I've never asked."

"Adam, that's information you need!" Tommy shook his head in disbelief and took a draw of his smoothie.

"Speaking of information I need, I still want to know why she called in the middle of a lesson," Adam thought out loud. He looked at Tommy. "Doesn't that seem a little weird?"

"Maybe it was a pocket dial mistake," Tommy shrugged. "Maybe she was gonna tell you she was running late, and you needed to keep Jenna there."

"No, she showed up right on time," Adam replied. He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It's just so weird."

"What's weird?" a new, but familiar voice, popped into the conversation.

Adam glanced up. "Hey, Billy!" he said, replacing his frown with half a smile. He really _was_ happy to see Billy, but the whole thing with Rachel had him a little rattled. Billy Cranston had traded his contacts for square-framed glasses, but still wore his trademark blue. Today, it was a blue polo with black dress pants.

Billy pulled up a stool. "I was going to go straight to the Science Center," Billy explained, "but it's so warm outside I thought I'd grab something cold before I left. I didn't know you guys were here. What a great coincidence." He grinned at his friends. "So….what's weird?"

"Adam's mystery phone call," Tommy said.

"Oh," Billy replied. "I admit the scenario was a little odd."

"More than a little," Adam replied. "Hey, Wes? Can we get another one of these?" He grinned. "Stick it on Tommy's tab."

Tommy laughed. "I just love the part where you had Billy trace the call instead of just calling her back!"

"Shut up," Adam replied. "I panicked."

"Yeah you did," Billy teased. "Successful dojo owner, mad kung fu skills-"

"Can't talk to a girl," Tommy finished, and Adam became _very_ interested in his drink. "Like either of you two have great success stories," he replied pointedly, to try to change the subject away from him. It was a low blow, but he was _done_ talking about him.

"I wouldn't say that," Tommy replied with a grin.

"What're you talking about?" Billy asked. Then he smiled. "It's Hayley, isn't it? The girl that owns the CyberCafe?"

Tommy grinned some more, and Billy slapped a hand on the bar. "I knew it, I knew she'd never stay 'just your research assistant'."

"That's cool, man, congrats," Adam said. "How long you been dating her?"

Tommy thought about it. "Couple years," he replied, and Adam whistled. "There's just somethin' about her, guys."

"Never mind that she already knows your biggest secret," Billy added, and Tommy nodded. "I bet that helps a lot."

"It does," Tommy admitted. "Not that I've had to put the suit on in a while, but it's handy to know that if I have to disappear at some point for a while, I can actually tell her why." He grimaced. "Hoping that doesn't happen. Not that I don't love the gig, but there should really be such thing as ranger retirement." He raised an eyebrow. "Right, Adam?"

"Yeah," Adam replied. "At some point you're too old to wear a spandex power suit."

"Kira has pictures, by the way. I'm saving them for when you turn 40," Tommy informed him.

"She would," Adam muttered under his breath. He did like Tommy's former student, but Kira had a wild streak.

"Well look at this old school reunion!"

Adam, Tommy and Billy looked up to see Rocky DeSantos, in a red tanktop, blue jean shorts and sunglasses, come into the juice bar. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, and next to him was a young Asian woman with long dark hair pulled back in a braid, wearing skinny jeans and a blue tanktop. "It's 'retro'," Adam corrected with a smile. "How was your flight?"

"I'm so wore out right now it isn't even funny," Rocky replied. "But since I heard you all were here we had to come by before we went home."

"Amber, I think you've met Billy," Adam said, "but I don't remember if Tommy was in town the last time you were with all of us."

"I'd remember a handsome face like that," Amber replied easily. "Nice to meet you Tommy. The guys talk about you all the time."

"Oh really?" Tommy replied, with a glance at Rocky, Billy and Adam.

"Yeah, their man crush is kinda cute," Amber said with a grin.

"Are those smoothies? I'm starved," Rocky cut in.

Adam grinned. "You're telling me you didn't get enough of rice and airport food?"

"That," Rocky said, "is a vicious stereotype," he told Adam.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I'm Asian. It's fine."

"So am I," Amber added, "and _yes_ , you have no idea."

Rocky grinned, and the guys laughed. "Wes!" Rocky yelled, and the young proprietor glanced over his shoulder. "Lemme get a banana crème smoothie to go!" He looked at Amber. "Want one?"

"No," Amber replied. "What I want is a pepperoni pizza and then to see the inside of my eyelids."

"Rocky, are you gonna be OK to take classes next week, or do you want me to sub yet?" Adam asked.

"Mixing business with pleasure," Billy stage whispered to Tommy, and Adam waved him off.

"I'll be good," Rocky replied. "I'll sleep the rest of the day and I'll be good to get back into the action." Wes slid two smoothies at Rocky, and Rocky flipped him a ten dollar bill. "I thought you didn't want one," Billy said to Amber.

She smiled and tossed her braid behind her shoulder. "Those are both his," she said, jerking a thumb at Rocky. "Guy's a human garbage disposal."

"Yeah he is," Adam replied. "Enjoy your vacation while you've got a little left," he told his partner. "Cuz come Wednesday you'll have to get back into the habit again and work off all that vacation food."

Rocky grinned, grabbing his cups. "Whatever you say, Boss Man," he replied. He nodded to Billy and Tommy. "Good to see you both again. Amber and I have a ton of pics from Vietnam, so we'll totally have you guys over sometime to look at them."

"After I go through and delete all the ones with Rocky sticking his tongue out at the camera," Amber groaned, and the guys laughed. "Nice to meet you Tommy, good to see you again, Billy, and Adam, it's a pleasure like always."

"Same here," Adam told her. "See you later."

"I like her," Tommy said, as Rocky and Amber left the room. "I think she's good for him."

"She's pretty adventurous, she'll be able to keep up with him," Adam replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if he proposes soon." He grimaced. "And we're back to relationship talk again. New subject please."

"You're such girls," Billy said with a perfectly straight face, and Tommy punched him in the shoulder.

Adam's peripheral vision caught a familiar face and he glanced sideways. Jenna Connors was coming in the juice bar wearing a pair of jeans and a longsleeved sweater. He frowned.

Tommy caught the look on his face. "Adam?" he questioned, but Adam only held up a hand. Tommy turned to see what his friend was looking at. "One of your students?" he guessed, and Adam nodded distractedly. _Something's off_.

Then it hit him. _It's pushing 95 degrees…_ Jenna was in a pair of jeans and a sweater. He knew they kept the Juice Bar air conditioning on high but…

"Hang on a sec, guys," Adam said, getting up from his place and wandering over to the counter.

Jenna had come in alone, he noticed. He wondered if it was weird that as a grown adult, if he approached her? Then he shrugged it off. Something still didn't feel right and he was gonna figure out what it was. "Hi Jenna," he said.

She jumped and whipped around. Her face broke into a smile, but Adam caught the split second look before that.

Fear.

"Hi, Mr. Park," Jenna said quickly, a little too perkily. "I didn't know you hung out here."

"Since before you were born," Adam replied. "We used to hang out here a lot when I was in high school. In fact, Sensei DeSantos and I taught youth karate classes here after school, and this is where we had all our school dances and stuff."

"Yeah? Cool," Jenna said. "Hi Wes. Can I get a coconut smoothie?"

"Sure thing kiddo, comin' up," Wes replied. He left and Adam heard the roar of the smoothie machine waking up. He turned to Jenna. "So…warm enough out there for ya today?"

"What, out there?" Jenna blustered. "Nah, it's practically Arctic."

"Whatever you say," Adam said. He glanced around. "So, is everything okay?" he asked her. "Saturday morning, you're getting smoothies by yourself?"

"Yeah well, most of my friends aren't morning people," Jenna replied. "They aren't outta bed til at least noon or whatever, and I was craving coconut." She became very interested in her feet. "So…what are you doing here?"

"Catching up with some old friends." Adam replied. He pointed to Billy and Tommy.

"Oh, cool." Wes came back with her smoothie, and Jenna reached for it. Her sweater rode up and Adam caught a glance of something under her gray longsleeved shirt. Her eyes widened and she yanked her sleeve down quickly. Adam caught the look of panic in her eyes.

"Jenna-" he started, but Jenna threw a five on the counter and grabbed her drink. "Keep the change Wes, thanks," she said, and practically ran from the building, throwing a "See you Sensei Park!" over her shoulder.

Adam took two steps to try to follow her, but then he stopped. "Hey," Tommy said, coming up behind him. Billy joined them a second later. "What was that all about?"

"That was Jenna Connors," Adam said, still staring at the door. "Rachel's daughter."

"She's cute," Tommy said. "Her mom must _really_ be good looking." Billy elbowed his friend in the side. Adam shifted on his feet. Billy looked at him. "Adam?"

"Guys," Adam said, turning to his friends. "Something's not right."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Is not mine. Is Saban-no, wait. Hasbro, now? I'm confused. So if I'm confused, it must mean they're not mine. 'Cause I would know if they belonged to _me_ , right?**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

"Let's go again!" Rocky stood in front of the class. He'd offered to take Adam's class on Monday so Adam could finish up some registration forms for a tournament that was coming up. He walked inbetween the rows, watching their students carefully. "And-one! Two! Three!" Each number was a different movement, a sharp punch here, a kick here. He placed his hands behind his back and continued counting off the kata.

Adam glanced up from the window in the office, his eyes tired of staring at the black and white paperwork. It was nice to have Rocky back to share his half of the work. And he was grateful his friend was willing to take this class so he could finish it all up.

He heard a loud count of "One!" from Rocky, and glanced up. Jenna was standing in her usual place, and he watched as Rocky walked past her, counting out the kata. He studied her for a few moments. Her form looked fantastic, and her face was intent on the rhythm.

Rocky led them through a cool down, and then dismissed them. Adam watched as Jenna scooped up her backpack and changed into her shoes. He watched her head toward the door. She hadn't said goodbye to Rocky, hadn't spoken to anyone. In fact, she'd hardly made eye contact.

Rocky waited until the last student had left, and then joined Adam in the office, throwing a towel around his neck and shrugging out of the top half of his karate gi, tying the sleeves around his waist. "Hey. How's it goin' in here?" he asked Adam, collapsing in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Almost finished," Adam said. He grinned. "You're a little out of shape there Rocko."

Rocky sighed. "All that hiking, and you'd think I'd be in better shape. Instead, I'm sucking wind." He shrugged. "I blame jet lag."

"Yeah, okay." Adam paused. "Man, speaking of wind, your feet smell." He pushed them off the desk's corner. "Go shower!"

"Aye aye, Black Ranger!" Rocky teased with a mock salute.

Adam rolled his eyes. "I can't wait 'til the day _you_ get called back to action," he groaned. "I hope you're next. I'm too old for this stuff, it's someone else's turn next time."

Rocky paused in the doorway. "I had to sit out my turn," he said quietly, under his breath so that Adam almost didn't hear it. Then, he was gone, heading for the small bathroom.

Adam swore and dropped his head to the desk. _How many times this month am I gonna stick my foot in my mouth_? he wondered.

* * *

He hung around until Rocky was finished, then caught him as he was coming out. "Rocky, I'm sorry, man," he apologized. "I've been feeling sorry for myself a lot lately, and it's coming out in really unreasonable places."

Rocky ran his hand over his wet hair. "It's all good, bro," he said. "Really. Amber and I kinda talked about stuff while we were on vacation, and it was kinda in the back of my mind too." He perched on one of the rolled up floor mats. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little jealous of you," he admitted. "You got to go back out and save the world."

"Again," Adam kidded, and Rocky laughed.

"Yeah, again. And look, man, I'm right there with you. Not a day goes by that something doesn't come up in the news or whatever that doesn't remind me of the Ranger days. When you all went off to the Amazon or whatever and I was stuck in that hospital bed…"

"That's not the same thing," Adam argued. "You had no choice. I gave up the Power willingly. And then to get it back, only to put it away again…it's like getting a hit of cocaine or something and then quitting cold turkey. And then I think, like, why me? Why couldn't someone else have gone instead of me? You know, what makes me worthy of a shot to get back in the action over everybody else?"

"Well, let's face it, the Power is probably getting sick of Tommy 'Four Different Colors' Oliver, and I'm pretty sure the Power lost my number," Rocky joked. "That's the second time I've been passed over for the re-up." He clapped Adam on the shoulder. "Seriously, man. What's really been bothering you? You've been off since we got back."

"So….was it just me, or was Jenna Connors really into the lesson today?" Adam asked. He started to pace the floor.

"She was _really_ into the lesson," Rocky confirmed. "I've never seen her so focused."

"Me either," Adam said. "I mean she's usually a good student and a great listener, but…"

"Tommy told me about the thing at Ernie's," Rocky said. "What do you think's up?"

Adam leaned forward and leaned forward on his elbows. "Rocky, I can't prove it, but I think someone at home is hurting Jenna."

Rocky frowned. "Pretty serious, man...What do you mean?"

Adam relayed the story of his encounter with Jenna at the juice bar. "I didn't tell Tommy and Billy this, but I'm pretty sure what I saw on her arm was bruising. Like, someone grabbed her arm-" here he grabbed Rocky's forearm- "and twisted." He rotated his hand hard to the left before letting go. "Like, remember when we were kids and giving each other 'snakebites' was a thing?"

"You know, she is a teenager, and an active one at that," Rocky said, turning his arm thoughtfully. "It could've come from something else."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, it could've. But when I saw it, she was scared that I'd seen it. And she couldn't leave fast enough. It was like she didn't want me to ask what happened. If it was an accident in gym class or our class, it should've been no big deal."

He put his hands down on the table. "And then there's the whole phone call…"

"Wait, what phone call?"Rocky asked.

"I didn't tell you this story?" Adam replied. When his best friend shook his head, Adam nodded. "That's right, you didn't show up at Ernie's 'til afterwards." He told Rocky about the phone call from Jenna's mother.

"Maybe it was a pocket dial," Rocky suggested. "Your name is 'Adam'-that would put you at the top of her contact list, or pretty close."

Adam shrugged. "Yeah maybe, I just don't know. It's really strange. How else did Jenna seem in class?"

Rocky propped a bare foot on the edge of the desk. "Focused," he said. "Almost _too_ focused," he added as an afterthought. "And she sorta left without talking to anybody or saying anything. Same when she came in, she just sort of got into her gear and jumped into class." He looked at Adam. "Which _is_ a little unusual," he said. "Jenna's usually pretty friendly."

"Rachel asked if I'd give Jenna a ride home Wednesday after class," Adam said. "Maybe I'll ask her about it."

"Might be a good idea. Maybe just ask how everything's going at home, see what she says." Rocky chuckled quietly.

"What?" Adam demanded.

Rocky was still chuckling, like it was his own private joke. "Maybe your hero days aren't quite over," was all he said.

* * *

 _Billy Cranston's Home  
Angel Grove_

"She's not bad," Adam set his beer down on the table as Tommy set his phone down in the middle of Billy's kitchen table. Kira Ford's voice belted over the small speaker.

 _Say goodbye, I'll be OK  
I will wait for you 'cause  
True love will never fade  
When it's real, you can feel it  
And I know that you know that I will keep on waiting  
Faithfully, patiently  
For you._

"This is the one she's releasing as her first single," Tommy explained. "Ethan helped her mix the track." He reached into his bag and rummaged around. "Trent did her cover art." He handed a CD case to Adam. Kira sat with her guitar, a fedora dipped over one eye. Colored pencil sketching and hatching gave the slightest hints of color while bold black letters proclaimed PATIENTLY across the bottom.

"You've got some talented students," Billy said, dropping a pizza onto the table. "This one's for Rocky," he teased, and the former Red Ranger slugged him in the arm as he returned to put the second one in.

"They're pretty amazing," Tommy agreed. "Oh, Adam, I was gonna ask you and Rocko, would you guys mind putting these up in the dojo?" He dug into his black bag again and pulled out a flyer.

"McKnight Soccer Camp," Adam read. "Conner?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. For this summer. I know it's early, but never too soon to get people thinking, especially since Conner's willing to make the drive down here to set it up."

"This can go up in the window," Rocky decided. "Do we get a commission if we send kids your way?"

"I don't know what you guys have heard," Tommy teased, "but teaching doesn't really pay a whole lot, you know."

"We'll take it from you when you come in to show off with us," Adam replied. "Billy, you want in on this beatdown?"

" _Beatdown_?" Tommy exclaimed over Rocky's laughter and Billy's emphatic, "Not a chance in hell."

Billy sat down in a chair across from Adam. "Is this sort of abject humiliation something you encourage in your classes?" he asked Adam.

"Hey, I'm sitting right here!" Tommy protested.

Adam twirled his beer bottle in his fingers. "I think it's more of the classic, 'what not to do' scenario," he replied. "We want the kids making good choices- you know, proper form, stuff like that," he added, the remark earning him a backhanded whack from Tommy on the arm as he tried not to laugh.

"That's it, I'm never coming to Angel Grove again," Tommy told his friends. "Not if I'm gonna suffer this kind of verbal abuse."

"Whatever, man," Rocky said inbetween bites of pizza, "you miss us."

Tommy shrugged. "Maybe."

Billy turned to Adam, who'd gone suddenly quiet. "Everything okay, Adam?" he asked him. The laughter died down as Rocky and Tommy realized that Adam had gotten quiet during the last exchange of banter.

"You thinkin' about Rachel and Jenna again?" Rocky asked.

Adam nodded. "Sorry. Not trying to be a downer," he apologized. "Just…worried."

"Well, I've got an idea," Tommy said. "Billy, go grab your computer." The Blue Ranger looked at him curiously, but pushed his chair back and disappeared into his office. When he returned, Rocky went to retrieve the second pizza from the oven (since he really _had_ demolished most of the first on his own), and Billy waited.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked, glancing between Billy and Tommy.

"Billy, let's do a search. Can you still get into police records?"

" _What_?" Adam's jaw dropped. "That's like, seriously illegal."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Moreso than hacking the phone company?" he countered.

"You're crazy," Adam declared. "Billy, come on, man," he protested, turning to Billy.

"I have to admit, your concern for the Connors women is catching," Billy replied carefully. "And it so happens, I know that the Angel Grove Police Department hasn't updated their computer software in awhile."

"How-?" Rocky began, then shook his head. "Never mind, the less I know, the less I have to testify to later," he decided.

"It's not what you think," Billy rolled his eyes. "I freelance IT there on occasion."

"All it takes is one search," Tommy replied. "Well, maybe two. Here and wherever they lived beforehand," he said. "Did Rachel say where they lived before they moved here?"

Adam was silent. Two of his best friends were planning on hacking the AGPD, and over what? Maybe an accidental call and an alleged bruise? It was insane. And yet…he remembered the exhausted look on Rachel's face, the fear in Jenna's eyes. How fast she'd pulled away. _What if something really_ is _going on at home, Adam?_

"Jenna wears a Mariner Bay Dolphins sweatshirt sometimes to class," Rocky put in helpfully, and Adam groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath.

"Fine. Check it out."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Billy cracked his knuckles and glanced around the table. "You know what?" he said, and Adam opened his eyes. "I'm not going to do this."

Adam felt a weight lift from his chest and he looked at his friend gratefully.

"Why not, man?" Rocky asked Billy. He'd been looking forward to playing Magnum PI.

Billy looked sideways at Adam before answering, "Because it's invasive, and I'd like to keep my contract with the AGPD and stay in their good graces. And because there's a simpler way for Adam to find the information that he's looking for."

 _Aaand, he lost me._ "Which would be…?" Adam prompted, draining his beer. _Why do I get the feeling I'm going to like this less than hacking AGPD?_

Billy pushed his glasses up on his nose and nodded. Then, he slid his cell phone over to Adam. Adam picked up the old Nokia and ran his fingers over the numbers. "Call Rachel," Billy said simply.

"Yep, liking this better," Tommy whispered to Rocky, loud enough for Adam to hear.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "And that solves the problem how, exactly?" His palms started to sweat and he disguised it by reaching for a piece of pizza.

Billy held up a finger. "First, it answers the question as to whether or not there's a Mr. Connors. Second," and here he held up a second finger, "you can mention having seen the mark on Jenna's arm and wondering if it was in class."

"Yeah, that's a good point," Rocky agreed. "Say we just want to make sure nobody's getting too aggressive in class or something. And since we just had class tonight, it lends itself to the story." He pointed at Billy with a slice of pizza. "Good idea, Bill."

"A better idea would be to save some of that for the rest of us," Billy replied, snatching the piece out of Rocky's hand, lightning quick. "Did they not feed you in Vietnam?"

Rocky grinned. "Not California-style pizza," he said.

"And, since you're using my phone, if anything _does_ go awry, it won't fall back on you or the dojo," Billy said.

Adam picked up the Nokia and spun it on the table. "Go ahead, man," Tommy encouraged.

"I retrieved her number from the call she placed to your phone," Billy said.

"Thanks, but I think I'll use the one we got from her when she signed Jenna up for classes," Adam replied. "Because maybe she's not supposed to have that other phone, and someone might think something suspicious." He managed a smile. "See, I can be sneaky too."

"We're rubbing off," Tommy whispered and Billy motioned for him to shut up.

Adam stared at the phone. Then, he looked at Rocky. "Got those registration forms?" he asked.

Rocky nodded, disappearing into the living room and returning with his briefcase. He handed it to Adam. Adam thumbed through the paperwork, which Rocky had meticulously set in alphabetical order. "I'm rubbing off on you," Adam teased as he pulled out Jenna Connors's form. On the bottom, Rachel had filled in her cell as the emergency contact.

He took a breath, then dialed.

The phone went immediately to voicemail.

All the guys let out a collective breath as Adam hung up. "Voicemail," he announced, flipping the phone back to Billy. "Guess we'll all have to wait until Wednesday."

Tommy glanced at the clock and swore. "Speaking of, I better get back on the road. You guys better let me know what happens," he warned them. "Or I _will_ come back down here and give you that beatdown you think you're giving _me_ ," he teased Rocky and Adam. "And don't think you'll get off, either," he added, pointing to Billy.

"I'm completely terrified," Billy said, straight-faced.

Rocky yawned. "Yep, scared to death," he agreed. "I better get moving, too. You coming, Adam?"

"In a bit," Adam said. "I need a slice before I go." He looked at the cardboard to see one piece lying there. "Don't even think about it," he told Rocky, who held his hands up in surrender and backed out of the kitchen, following Tommy out the door.

The kitchen was blissfully silent. Adam dropped his head to his arms on the table, and Billy clapped him on the shoulder. "They _are_ a bit overbearing, aren't they?" he grinned, and Adam shook with laughter under his hand.

* * *

Wednesday rolled around faster than Adam wanted. He was so preoccupied with rehearsing what he wanted to say to Rachel that he left his keys for the dojo at his house and had to drive back across town to get them. By the time he unlocked the dojo, changed, and set everything up, his students were waiting outside the door waiting to be let in.

"Hey, Sensei Park," Abbott, one of his senior students, greeted him as he slipped past him.

"Morning," Adam replied, then rolled his eyes exasperatedly when he realized what he'd said at 3:30 in the afternoon. Abbott, to his credit, didn't correct him.

 _You better focus, Park. Or it's gonna be a LONG lesson_.

"Hi, Sensei!" Jenna Connors breezed through the door, already dressed in her gi, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Hi, Jenna," Adam greeted her. He let the door fall closed as his students stretched and sparred, waiting for his command to begin the days' lesson. He heard the door, and saw Rocky slide in, give him a wave, and disappear into their shared office.

Adam took a deep breath, and called the lesson to order. His students filed into their lines, and the lesson began.

An hour later, he was leading them through cooldown stretches, with no idea of where the time had gone. Rocky poked his head out of the office with a raised eyebrow, and Adam nodded, letting Rocky know it was okay for him to lock up shop while he took Jenna home. Jenna was sitting next to Abbott on top of the extra mats when Adam came over.

"Ready to go?" Adam asked her.

She nodded. "See you next class," she told Abbott. Her voice sounded strained. Adam watched her slide off the mat slowly, and grab her bag. She kept her head down as Adam held the door open for her. "Hop in," he told her, nodding to the Camaro.

The car seemed to perk her up a little. "Wow. This is yours?" she asked him.

Adam nodded as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Yeah. An indulgence I'm pretty sure I'll be paying off until I die," he said. _Indulgence? I've been hangin' around Billy too much_.

"I love the color. The black is way cool."

"Thanks," Adam said. "So, listen," he began. "I'm sorry if this is awkward, me taking you home. Your mom-"

"Is working late," Jenna cut in. "It's okay. Maybe a little embarrassing to get a ride from your teacher," she added after a moment. "But everyone'll be jealous I got to ride in this car." She glanced sideways at him with a small smile.

Adam grinned, and revved the engine out of a stoplight. Jenna grabbed the front edge of her seat in surprise.

"Sorry," Adam replied. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Jenna looked at him. "How fast will this thing go?" she asked him, only the smallest trace of fear in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure your mom and dad would rather I _didn't_ get picked up for speeding with you in the car," Adam ventured.

Jenna leaned her head back against the seat. "Just mom, my parents are divorced," she said.

Adam waited to see if she would offer anything more, but she said nothing the rest of the drive, only saying things like, "Turn left here," or "Take the next right." Her directions took them downtown Angel Grove, and Adam saw the lighted sign for PERRY'S DINER a block away. It wasn't too far from the Youth Center, which explained Jenna's early morning craving for smoothie.

He parked the car in an open space. There was an uncomfortable silence as Jenna started to grab her things and undo her seatbelt. _Now or never, Park_ , he told himself. "Look, Jenna. I was wondering…"

She looked over at him, and this time, he definitely caught the fear in her eye. "The bruising, on your arm," he said. "I saw it at the Youth Center. Is that something you got in class?"

Jenna looked straight ahead as she fumbled with her seatbelt. "Um, no," she said, a little too quickly. "PE class. At school. Thanks for the ride, Sensei Park. See you next week." She practically flew out of the car, flinging the door open so wide it nearly hit the car next to them. It swung back shut on its' own.

Adam leaned back against the headrest as Jenna sprinted down to the diner. "Nice work, Adam," he groaned.

* * *

Rocky flicked idly through the channels while Adam paced the living room. "So Mr. and Mrs. Connors are divorced," he said as he searched the TV channels. "And Jenna got hurt in PE class."

Adam shook his head. "There's more to it, Rocko," he insisted. "She's _scared_. That answer about PE class? It's like it's rehearsed."

Rocky heard the insistence in his friends' tone, and set the remote down. "Sit down before you fall down," he ordered Adam. Adam dropped into a chair, facing the ceiling. "So what do you want to do, man?" Rocky asked him.

"I don't know," Adam replied. He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand down his face. "All I know is that something isn't right. I _know_ that Jenna didn't get that bruising in PE class. Talking about her family life makes her uncomfortable. Something is happening, but I don't know what."

"You need to talk to her mom," Rocky decided. "Rachel. Call her into the office. You can open with asking her about the county tournament coming up," he said. "Jenna's good enough, she could represent Path of Light in her division. Have her come in to sign the registration and the waiver. Then ask her."

"And if she lies?" Adam asked. "Jenna probably told her about what I asked her."

"You'll know," Rocky said. "You're a pretty good judge of character," he added.

"Oh, yeah," Adam snorted. "Yeah, like Sabrina? And Tanya?"

Rocky sat up and turned to face him. "First of all, Sabrina was a scorpion warrior minion of darkness posing as a teenage girl. Second of all…what does _Tanya_ have anything to do with this?"

"If I was such a good judge of character, why didn't I figure out that she wasn't coming back?" Adam bit.

Rocky's mouth dropped into a small _o_. "Jeez, man, after all these years?" he said in surprise. "I-I didn't think you were still hung up on Tanya."

Adam shrugged, as if to say, _You know now_. "Tanya decided to put her career before my best friend," Rocky started. "That's never sat okay with me," he added. "I'm just as pissed as you are that she left what you guys had for that record deal." He pointed at Adam. "That's on _her_ , man, not you. That wasn't your fault. You were ready to be supportive through the whole crazy thing. _She_ was the one who decided a relationship with you wasn't worth keeping."

He leaned back on the couch. "Tanya had a good thing with you, and she left it," he finished.

It was quiet for a moment, then, Adam shook his head. "You're a good friend, Rocko," he told him.

Rocky grinned. "I know." The two of them laughed. Then, Rocky turned serious. "About Rachel and Jenna? Go with your gut. You think something is up, then you need to get to the bottom of it. I'll back you. Paperwork for the county has to be turned in by next Friday. Gives you some time to figure out your next play."

Adam nodded. _My next play…except I don't know what it should be._

 _And what happens if I wait too long to figure it out?_

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Well darn it, so Adam didn't get to talk to Rachel. Best laid plans...Apologies for the mild Tanya-bashing, I really don't have anything against her, it just fit with the story :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own the characters; they belong to Sabasbro. (Saban+Hasbro...see what I did there...this is what happens when I've got too much time on my hands...)**

 **Author's Note:** **Anybody see the trailer for Beast Morphers or the cast reveal? I'm excited.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

Adam didn't know where the time had gone. Suddenly, it was Wednesday again, and he was totally unprepared for class. He glanced up at the clock. Class was in two hours, and he was so rattled he didn't even have a plan for the day. Rocky sat across from him, double-checking the registration forms for the county tournament and getting them ready to mail. _Since when is_ Rocky _more on the ball than I am_? Adam wondered.

"Yow!" Rocky yelped, waving a hand with a registration form in the air wildly.

Adam blinked and looked at him. "You okay?"

Rocky nodded. "Yeah, it's just…" He wiggled his fingers. "Papercut."

 _Ah, there he is._ "I should cancel class," Adam said, leaning against the window. "I have no idea what to do today. This whole Rachel and Jenna thing…it's all I can think about."

"That means you care," Rocky pointed out, propping a foot on the desk. He set it on the envelope with the forms, then changed his mind and put it near the phone. "And canceling class would _not_ be a good way to back that up."

"I know, but I have zero plan for today, and the kids will know. Jenna will know," he added. "If she even comes."

Rocky bit his lip, thinking. Then, he grinned. "What time's school get out at Reefside?" he asked.

"Same as Angel Grove…" Adam's eyes widened, realizing what Rocky was on to. "But I think Tommy's prep hour is his last hour of the day." His hands were reaching for his phone even as he said it.

* * *

Two hours later, as Adam's students filed into the dojo, most of them stopped dead at the doorway at the sight of not only Adam, but Sensei DeSantos in full uniform _and_ some random guy with glasses they'd never seen before, standing in front of the class.

Adam let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Jenna Connors came in. Her eyes also widened at the sight of the three men at the front of the mat. Adam watched her take her place in line, and his students were all staring openmouthed.

"Good afternoon," Adam greeted them, and a chorus of echoes came back at him. "Today, I thought we'd do something a little different."

He heard Rocky snort and ignored him. "You all know Sensei DeSantos, some of you are in his Tuesday classes. He decided to come out of hibernation in the office today and join us for our lesson. This gentleman right here-" Adam stepped over and put a hand on Tommy's shoulder, "is Dr. Tommy Oliver, and he's a friend of ours from Reefside."

Tommy nodded and stepped forward. "I actually went to high school here in Angel Grove with your teachers," he explained. "We taught a lot of self-defense classes over at the Youth Center, spent a lot of time there just hanging out." He looked out over the class. "Your teachers asked me here to talk to you about bullying."

Adam watched Jenna Connors. Her face had gone slightly white.

"Now, I'm sure both Sensei Park and Sensei DeSantos have talked to you multiple times about martial arts and bullying. How what you're learning should _never_ be used aggressively."

Adam watched Jenna. She was tense, her eyes on the floor now, instead of on Tommy. _Ah ha. Now we're gettin' somewhere…_ He looked out of the corner of his eye at Rocky, saw that his friend was noticing the behavior shifts too.

"So today, we thought we'd show you a couple of scenarios and how to respond to them peacefully. Believe me, I understand better than anybody that sometimes, a different response might be necessary, but not until you've exhausted all other avenues first." Tommy looked at Adam, who gave him the okay, and stepped up.

Tommy shoved him, hard enough that he staggered back a couple inches. "What are you looking at," he demanded.

Adam ignored him, moved to walk by him again. Tommy shot an arm out, sticking his palm in his chest. "Did I say you could leave?" he growled.

Rocky turned to the class. "Ignoring a bully is a good place to start," he explained. "Don't give them any ammunition. Ask them to stop."

"Leave me alone," Adam told Tommy. The taller man snickered.

"But why? It's so much fun," Tommy said.

"If there's an adult nearby, you can report the bully to them," Rocky said. "Any adult you trust- teacher, mom, dad…"

Adam took his eyes off Tommy for a second and looked at Jenna. His student was fidgeting in line.

Rocky waited a second. "But, if you feel threatened, if all else fails…"

Adam grabbed Tommy's wrist and upper arm, slid under his outstretched arm and wrenched Tommy's arm behind him into a solid arm bar. Then, he shoved a foot in the crook of Tommy's knee, driving him to the floor.

After a moment, he let him up and the two of them shook hands. "Questions?" Tommy addressed the class, and Adam grinned at his 'teacher' voice.

Abbott raised his hand. "Dr. Oliver?" he asked Tommy. "Could…could we maybe see the three of you spar each other? I mean," he clarified quickly, "for observational learning only," he added.

Rocky grinned. "How about it?" he asked them.

Adam turned to Tommy…who was already in a ready stance.

"Sure," Adam told Abbott, and the kids cheered.

Tommy's foot lashed out at Adam's face. Adam dodged it at the last second as Rocky jumped in, aiming for the middle of Tommy's back with a sharp kick. Tommy whirled, grabbed his foot and threw it. Rocky used the momentum, backflipped out of the way as Adam came in low, trying to swipe Tommy's legs out from under him. With his trademark kiyah, Tommy dove over his foot and the students in the front row scrambled out of the way. Adam advanced with a flurry of punches that Tommy blocked easily. Rocky came at him with a flying side kick, and Tommy staggered. Adam followed with a push kick, sending him through the line of students nearly to the back wall. Then, as one unit, Adam and Rocky drove through the group of kids, Rocky low, Adam high.

Tommy leapt into the air, cocorkscrewing off the top of a rolled-up mat behind the two of them as Adam's foot slapped the mat.

He heard an approving 'whoa' from someone out in the crowd, and allowed himself a grin before Rocky was on him with a connected series of kicks and punches.

"Rocko," Adam called to him. "Phaedos."

Rocky grinned, backing off of Tommy to a safer distance.

Tommy frowned. "Phaedos?" He remembered the jungle planet, but didn't understand-

Adam came at him from the left; Rocky from the right, two feet extended, aiming for his ears. His eyes widened, and he shot both hands out and managed to catch their feet just inches from the sides of his head.

Then, he dropped their feet and the three friends chuckled as they shook hands and the kids applauded wildly.

* * *

Tommy provided the necessary distraction as class ended and parents came to get their children. A lot of their attention was on him, so Rocky and Adam could focus on Jenna. The two of them watched the teen intently as she packed up her things to go. The door opened and Rachel Connors came inside, looking around.

"Hi Mom!" Jenna greeted her mother as she shouldered her bag.

Rocky strode over to the two of them. "Hey," he greeted them both. "Mrs. Connors, could I meet with you and Jenna really quick about the county tournament?"

Jenna's eyes widened and she looked up at her mom. "Can we?" she asked.

Rachel looked from her daughter to Rocky. She glanced at her watch. "I guess we've got a few minutes," she agreed.

Rocky put a hand on Rachel's shoulder and gestured them toward the office. He glanced over Rachel's head at Adam, one eyebrow raised.

"Now's your chance," Tommy whispered to Adam, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck, man."

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. Thanks."

He waited until the last of their students had left the dojo, then he knocked quietly on the office door and poked his head in. "Can I come in?"

"We're just finishing up," Rocky said with a grin. "Um, so Mrs. Connors, I'll get you the waiver for the tournament if you just want to hang on a minute." He got up out of the office chair. "I'll be right back; they're in my bag." He nodded to Adam and closed the door behind him.

"Sensei Park, Sensei DeSantos says I'm good enough to be in the tournament this weekend," Jenna said excitedly.

Adam smiled. "He's right. You've come a long way in a short amount of time. Did you take lessons in Mariner Bay?"

Jenna and her mother exchanged a look. "No, sir," Jenna replied.

"All natural talent," Adam nodded. "So, what made you move to Angel Grove?"

Silence. _Here we go_ , Adam thought.

"Just looking for a change," Rachel said after a moment.

Adam just decided to dive right in. "Mrs. Connors-Rachel- I know that you called me the other week during class from an unlisted phone number. The next morning, I saw fresh bruises on Jenna's arm at the Youth Center. She tried to cover them up with longsleeves," he added quickly, as Rachel turned to her daughter, shock in her eyes. Jenna shrunk down in her chair. Adam leaned forward across the desk. "I have to ask…what's going on?"

Rachel stood up so fast she almost knocked her chair over. "We have to go."

"Mom!" Jenna protested.

Rachel turned and almost ran into Rocky, who was standing in the doorway. "Mrs. Connors, please," he said calmly. "Please, sit down."

Adam nodded thankfully at his best friend. Rocky winked.

"Mom," Jenna said quietly. "Mom, just tell him."

Rachel Connors looked like she was going to pass out. Rocky helped her sit down. The two of them waited patiently, Rocky leaning against the office windowsill.

"Jenna and I moved to Angel Grove to get away from my husband," Rachel opened, resignedly. "Jack was…is…short tempered when he's drinking. He used to work at NASADA, but with the government budget cuts…they let him go. The drinking happened after that."

The story sounded plausible enough; Adam knew he could call Andros or Carlos to verify if he needed to.

"He showed up that night…the night I called you," Rachel told Adam. "At the house. Jenna was at the dojo, as you know."

"Why call Adam? Why not the police?" Rocky asked her.

"I-I don't know," Rachel replied. She looked at Adam, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "Your cell was listed on the registration forms when I enrolled Jenna. I plugged it into my phone…I guess you were the first number I could get my hands on. I lied, told Jack I was calling the police and that he needed to go."

"And Jenna's arm?" Adam asked.

Rachel looked at Jenna. "I don't know…I-I didn't know she was hurt-"

"I went to go see him," Jenna said quietly, tears in her eyes.

Rachel turned to her daughter, alarmed. "You _what_?"

Adam looked up at Rocky. _Rachel didn't know?_

"I skipped school that day and took the bus to Mariner Bay," Jenna said, looking down at her hands. "I wanted to see Dad. I-I thought maybe, maybe he was better. Maybe, if I went to talk to him…"

She sniffed, the tears spilling over. "He got mad at us for leaving. He grabbed my arm and twisted it. I stepped on his foot, and I ran out the door and all the way back to the bus stop." She buried her head in her hands. Rachel reached over, gave her a hug, rubbing her back and whispering to her.

Adam got up, motioned for Rocky to come with him to give them a few minutes. The two of them stepped outside onto the mats.

Rocky whistled. "Geez, Adam…you were right."

"I didn't want to be," Adam groaned, running his hands through his hair. "What do I do, Rock?"

Rocky looked back inside the office, then back to his friend. He gave him a small smile.

"You go be a hero," he said. He grinned. "Again."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"I can't do this."

Adam turned at the statement. "Yes, you can," he encouraged Rachel. The two of them were standing outside the Angel Grove Police Department. "Jenna just accomplished snapping a board in half," he added. "You can do this."

Rachel glanced up at him as if to see if he was joking, caught the smile on his face, and couldn't help but smile even as she was shaking her head. "I can see why you teach, Adam," she told him. "That was….encouraging."

Adam ducked his head, embarrassed. "So…" he asked, changing the subject, "are you ready to do this?"

She shook her head. "No. But I think I need to…for Jenna's sake." She took a breath and let it out. Adam put a hand on her shoulder and opened the door with the other. He led Rachel in and walked with her up to the reception desk. Rachel swallowed as the woman behind the counter looked up from her computer.

Rachel glanced back at Adam. He met her gaze. She turned back.

"I'd…um…I need to file for a restraining order."

* * *

An hour or so later, the street lights were just coming on as Rachel and Adam came out of police headquarters. Rachel was shaking. Adam led the way to his Camaro and held the passenger side door as Rachel climbed inside. The two of them sat in the car for a few moments in silence.

"Are you….are you okay?" Adam asked after he couldn't stand it anymore.

Rachel was staring straight out the windshield down the darkening street. "What do you think will happen?" she asked him quietly. "Will it make Jack change? Or will it make things worse?" She fiddled with her wedding ring, her eyes dropping to her lap. "You know, Jack was a great guy before all this," she told Adam. "He was funny, and he was a great dad. But without his job…it's like a part of him was missing. He _loved_ his job. And no matter how much I tried…" She leaned back against the seat with her eyes closed. "There was a wall. A wall I couldn't get through."

Adam didn't say anything for a moment or two. _What should I say_? "You're not going to be able to fix him," he said. "He's gonna have to do that on his own. And no matter _what_ happens…" He looked over at her, and she turned her head so she was meeting his gaze, "I'll be here for you. And Jenna."

She gave him a tired, but grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr-Adam."

* * *

"So tell us what happened," Amber urged Adam later that night. She and Rocky and Adam were sitting in Rocky's living room. The contrast between Rocky's place and Adam's was striking. Whereas Adam was clean to a fault, Rocky's carefree attitude was evidenced all over, from the mismatched furniture to the haphazard stack of magazines and bills piled on his coffee table. Adam could see where Amber had tried to straighten up before he'd come over…and given up.

"Well, she filed the paperwork," Adam relayed. "They're, ah, gonna serve him in the morning."

"Do you think it'll work?" Rocky asked him as he popped a movie into the DVD player.

Adam sighed as the movie's menu popped up. Amber hit the mute button on the remote. "I hope so," he said. "I don't like seeing Rachel like that. Nobody should have to live like that."

"And what if it does work?" Amber asked quietly.

Adam glanced sideways at her. "I mean," she explained, "look, I see the look you get when you talk about her. It's obvious that you _really_ care for her-"

"She's a friend," Adam defended himself.

"And that's fine," Amber continued. "I just hope that if it does all work out and she gets back with her husband, that _you'll_ be okay."

Adam stared at the TV as Rocky hit play on the movie. "I just want her to be happy," he said after a moment, his voice so low that Rocky wasn't even sure that Adam knew he'd said it out loud.

He didn't say anything, but he was thinking, _Yeah, but what about_ you _being happy?_

* * *

Tommy Oliver was not now and had never _ever_ been a morning person, even when it came to workouts, first hour biology and anything Ranger-related. So when his doorbell rang at 7:45 in the morning on a Saturday morning, his first inclination was to deck whoever he found when he opened the door.

Until he saw it was Adam and remembered his shoulder.

"Hey," he said, blinking. His glasses were still sitting on his nightstand. "Adam?"

"Yeah," Adam replied, scuffing a foot into the deck slats. "Sorry for waking you up."

"No, it's okay," Tommy said. "Um, come on in. I need to find my eyes." He stepped back from the door and Adam came in. "Go ahead and make yourself at home. Coffee maker's in the kitchen," he added, his voice fading as he disappeared down the hall.

Adam parked himself in a kitchen chair and waited, looking around. Coffee was sounding pretty good, so he got up and located a mug with an orange DINO MUSEUM logo on it in a drainer, then dug around the cupboards for the coffee. Coffee was located in with the coffee mugs (Tommy logic). He measured enough out for the both of them and then sat back down. Tommy appeared a few minutes later, in a pair of jeans and a green longsleeve shirt and his glasses. "Can't find my contacts," he told Adam when Adam looked at him questioningly. "So, what are you doin' here?"

Adam ran a hand through his hair. "I need to talk to somebody, and as much as I love Rocky…it's outside his area of expertise."

Tommy snickered. "Well, that narrows it down," he kidded. The coffee maker dinged and Tommy poured two mugs, handing one to Adam. "What's up?"

Adam gripped the mug but didn't drink. "It's Rachel," he said after a moment. "I went with her to get a restraining order against her husband. Afterward, we were sitting in my car. She was saying how he was this great guy before everything went crazy…" He took a breath and let it out. "So here I was thinking I had a chance with her but, she might get back with her husband after all this."

"Oh, man," Tommy said. "Wow." He thought for a moment. "I mean, man, I guess, you be her friend and support her through whatever happens. Whether they finally go through a divorce, or he gets help and they get back together."

"Not exactly the answer I was hoping for," Adam admitted. "Even though I know you're right."

"Yeah, man, I know it," Tommy replied. "We've both been pretty unlucky in that department, huh?"

"You got Hayley," Adam countered.

Tommy couldn't help but grin at the mention of his girlfriend. "Yeah," he replied. "And someday you'll get your own Hayley," he assured him. He glanced at the clock."Hey, speaking of, she should just be opening the CyberCafe now," he noted. "You want to come down and say hi?"

 _Not really_. "Why not," Adam heard himself say out loud.

 _Maybe it'll take my mind off all this_.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Melancholy and sad Adam is not a fun Adam to write. Poor guy.**


End file.
